Self-seating door-handle



G. W. KENNINGTON. SELF SEATING DOOR HANDLE. APPLICATION FILED OCT 17,1919.

1,337,918. Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

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Mil/T2885: I mw fi- INVENTOI? amlfaz'mlrmm/varo/v A TTORNEVS hurrahGEORGE W. KEETHINGZWEN, OF NEW KGB-K.

SELF-SEATING BOOB-HANDLE.

mergers.

Application filed Gctoher 17, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. KENNING- TON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, inthe county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new andImproved Self-Seating Door-Handle, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

This invention relates generally to a new and improved door handle,particularl adapted for use in connection with sidewalk, trap, or otherdoors, which are usually arranged in a substantially horizontalposition.

Heretofore handles used in connection with such doors have beenconnected to the upper side of the door and have been so constructed andarranged as to present a projection above the door, which isobjectionable because in the case of sidewalk doors, persons may betripped thereby.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a handle particularlyadapted for use on doors occupying a substantially horizontal position,which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and whichis self-seating forming a substantially watertight joint and layingsubstantially flush with the top of the door when not m use.

The above objects are accomplished by providing a door handle having astem, a portion of which is tapered, and a substantially fiat mushroomhead at the upper part thereof adjacent to the tapered portion, therebeing provided at the end of the stem a means to permit limited movementof the handle relative to the door. An opening is provided in the dooror other body with which the handle is used having a beveled or taperedseat corresponding with the bevel 0r taper of the stem. Preferably theunder surface of the head is recessed so as to form an annular spacebetween the outer edge of the handle and the stem. if desired, the upperexposed side of the handle is preferably provided with a roughenedsurface.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription and the accompanying drawings, in which similar charactersof reference designate like parts in the several views.

Figure l is a view showing the application of the handle to sidewalkdoors.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial no. eel loo.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view looking in the direction of thearrows and take on'the line 2-2 of F 1.

Fig. 3, is a vert *al elevation of the handle showing the rouv .enedupper surface.

Fig. 4- is a bottom plan view of Fig. 3.

In the drawings showing one of the preferred forms of the invention thehandle is there shown as comprising a downwardly extending stem 1, whichis tapered throughout a portion of the length thereof, there beingshown, in the preferred form, a head or handle portion 2 or" a mushroomshap. If the handle is used in connection with sidewalk doors 3, l,shown in Fig. 1. said doors will occupy a substantially horizontalposition.

in applying a handle the door 3 will be provided with an opening 5having a beveled or tapering seat 6 attending therearound, the saidtaper corresponding to the taper of the stem 1. When the stem 1 ispositioned on the tapered seat of the door 3, the tapered stem portionof the handle is preferably located conveniently under the head 2 of thehandle, and the outer rim 7 of the handle is so positioned relative tothe 1' surface tapered portion of the stem is positioned in the taperedseat of the door, the outer rim will rest upon the upper surface of thedoor 8 so that there will be formed between the outer portion of thehandle and the tapered seat of the door an annular space. There is thusprovided two joints which serve to prevent moisture and water fromfinding its way to the inner side of the door, one between the uppersurface of the door 8 and the rim 7 of the handle, and the other betweenthe stem 1 and the tapered seat 6.

Any suitable means may be provided to permit a limited upward movementof the stem suliicient to permit the handle 2 to be grasped, forexample, by the insertion of the fingers between the under side of thehandle 2 and the door 3. In the preferred construction, a nut 9 andwasher 10 is provided for this purpose, the latter being held in placeby the nut-9 which is threaded on the end of the stem 1. Of course, itis understood that the washer will be of a larger size than the opening5 to prevent the entire withdrawal of the stem from the opening when thehandle 2 is grasped to the door that when the move thefdoor. It is, ofcourse, understood that any other suitable means may be provided forthis purpose.

If it is desired to open the door, it is only necessary to grasp thehandle 2, preferably a distance sufficient to permit the fingers to beinserted between the under side of the handle and the upper surface ofthe door or other body in connection with which the handle is used.After the door has again assumed its horizontal position and the handleis released, it is apparent that it will automatically drop back into aseated position. If desired, the upper exposed side of the handle may beprovided with a roughened surface so as to reduce the possibility of aperson slipping thereon.

It is understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exactcharacter of the top or head here shown, the essential feature being theprovision of a substantially flattened head having a stem extendingdownwardly therefrom, a portion of which is tapered, preferably thatportion directly integral under the head, the said tapered portion beingadapted to be received'by a corresponding tapered opening in a door, andthe provision of a means carried by the stem to permit a limitedmovement thereof.

While there has here been shown but one of the preferred constructions,certain changes and modifications may be made thereof without departingfrom the spirit and scope of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A self-seating handle, particularly adapted for use on substantiallyhorizontal doors, comprising a handle adapted to normally rest on thedoor, a stem extending downwardly therefrom, a portion of said stembeing tapered and adapted to be seated in an opening tapered tocorrespond therewith, and means carried by the stem to permit a limitedmovement of said handle to permit the fingers to be inserted under thehandle, the tapered stem portion and the seat forming a substantiallywater tight joint.

2. A self-seating door handle, adapted for use on horizontal doors,comprising a tapered stem portion, a mushroom-shaped handle carried atone end, and a means carried at the other end thereof to permit alimited movement of the handle to permit theinsertion of the fingersunder the handle, the tapered stem portion being adapted to normallyrest on a correspondingly tapered seat of the .door whereby asubstantially water tight joint is formed, the outer edge of the handlenormally overlying the tapered portion, the said mushroom-shaped handlebeing normally substantially flush with the door.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a dooroccupying a sub stantially horizontal position having an opening withtapered sides therein, and a self-seating door handle comprising ahandle portion adapted to cover the upper part of said opening, a stemextending downwardly from said handle, and having a tapered stemextending downwardly from said end seated in said opening forming asubstantially water tight joint, and a removable means carried by saidstem to permit a limited movement of the stem to enable the fingers tobe inserted under the handle and to prevent the withdrawal of said stemthrough said opening.

GEORGE lV. KENNINGTON.

